An expedition to search the waters off Aruba for the remains of missing Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway leaves today from the Port of Iberia.

The research vessel Persistence, owned by the Lafayette-based Silvetti Group, will make the 10-day journey to the island. A 20- to 25-man crew will spend at least two weeks surveying the sea floor for Holloway, who has been missing since May 30, 2005.

Holloway, 18, was last seen leaving a bar with three men hours before she was scheduled to fly home with high school classmates celebrating their graduation.

Last week, police re-arrested the three men, prompting her father to re-launch the search in deep waters.

John Silvetti said his company became involved in the search after he was contacted by Louis Schaefer, chairman of Superior Offshore International. Schaefer had been approached by Texas Equusearch, a non-profit organization that has been searching for Holloway for more than two years.

Schaefer asked Silvetti if he could provide the survey personnel and the geophysical equipment required for the search. After spending a weekend with Schaefer and Pam and Dave Holloway, Silvetti agreed.

“It ripped my heart out to hear them say that right now all they’re looking for is to have a funeral in Alabama,” Silvetti said. “What do you say to someone like that?”

Silvetti agreed to provide his equipment and primary survey vessel at well below cost, with Schaefer covering all out-of-pocket expenses. Silvetti said his staff volunteered its services for the project as well.

“They said ‘You don’t even have to pay me. I just want to help,’” Silvetti said. “That just tells me we’ve got the right people on board.”

Marc Broussard, project manager for the Silvetti Group, said the company normally performs surveys looking for oil rigs and downed helicopters. Now, it will be using its high-resolution SONAR equipment to look for a body.

To upgrade its systems for the terrain in Aruba, Broussard said the Silvetti Group looked to its vendors, two of which are based in New Iberia.

Seatronics, located at the Port of Iberia, agreed to donate some of its high-tech electronic equipment to scan the ocean floor.

“I told (Silvetti) any opportunity that we had to go in on such a good cause, we would go in on it,” said Erik McGuire, vice president of Seatronics Inc.

“We’re more than happy to give the best effort possible to recover this girl for her family.”

Pro Log Inc. also stepped forth to provide a command center building where all of the surveying equipment will be stored. Like many people around the country, Pro Log Human Resources Director Heidi Parker said she has been following Holloway’s disappearance closely.

“We’re a family-owned business, so family is very important to us,” Parker said. “Anything we can do to help this family out is something that we’re going to do.”

After more than two years of searching, Texas Equusearch office manager Cheryl Lawless said she is hoping the organization’s fifth trip to Aruba will be its last. She said the venture would not be possible without the help of Schaefer, Silvetti and the other local companies.

“Nothing is being done to gain name recognition. This is to help these people,” Silvetti said. “Most of us have watched this on television, and I can only imagine the horror any parent would go through searching for their child in a foreign country.”

March 1 - RV Persistence announced it is leaving ArubaMarch 3 - John meets with CapsMarch 3 - Kyle learns that the screen shots he sent to the FBI - the FBI sent to Dave and Dave's wife, Robin posted them on the internet.March 12 the persistence gets back to LouisianaMarch 16 - In the month of March 2008 a witness who was urged by Dave Holloway to step forward confronted the Prosecutor’s Office. The man gave a statement on March 16th 2008 accompanied by his lawyer. March 18 - Kyle says: "the tip Dave got said the trap was 2-3 miles offshore. I found this one 2-3 miles offshore. 2.1-2.2 miles if memory serves.March 18 - Caps has spoken to John and John is in contact with MosMarch 18 - Kyle says that it is the pond near the soccer field that Caps is talkinga bout was the one searched by RV Persistence crewMarch is when Kyle started asking Freebirds about the boat and the size of boat that it would take to carry a cage like htat.March 18, 2008, 09:10:45 PM Kyle posts at scared monkeys that he personallydoes not feel that we should disregard the trap or its contents until we know howthat trap got there and what the nature of its contents wereMF hasn't posted at RU since 3/17/08Glenda hasn't posted at RU since 3/19/08no updates from amigo since 3/20/08March 20 - private eye posts on SM about the blue denim fabricMarch 20 - Kyle tells PrivateEye to email him fo r further discussion.March 21 - Kyle went to Johns house and all things Holloway were stripped from the boat he saidONE WEEK LATERMarch 24 - Agent Shipley went to Aruba and MOS is opposing the request to drain and search the pondMarch 26 CAPS and Dave email each other:"Beside to what I have heard, the body may be in another place now. But that is what this person connected to the government is saying not knowing who I am"March 27 - Kyle emails me that he is going offshore in a dayApril 3, 2008 -Posted at BFNI feel the sites are as safe as they can be. All survey data that was collected, other than what was shared with the authorities, is in our possesion. No data has yet to be released, especially target data......locations

Apr 7 Ocean says he just got asked by Mos through John to expedite the analysis of the pond search and to send a report brief. Moss is calling for the draining and full search of the pondKEEPING IN MIND POND WAS FULL OF WATER BACK IN FEB. APRIL MOS WANTS A BRIEF SO HE CAN GET PERMISSION TO DRAIN THE POND, BY MAY THE POND IS COMPLETELY DRY

APRIL 20, 2007, Superior Offshore and Company insiders sold over 10 million shares of common stock to the public, raising gross proceeds in excess of $152 million

APRIL 24,2008 OF ALL OF THE OFFICERS RESIGNED FROM SUPERIOR OFFSHORE COMPANY

APRIL 25,2008 THEY ANNOUNCED FILING A CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY

MAY 5, 2008 = CAPS posts about the pond being roped off

May 8, 2008 = Kyle posts: John Silvetti told me today that he may be returning to Aruba very soon for a few days.

On May 8, 2008, the Company filed a motion with the Court for authority to sell a

I need to know what we know about Caps and Destiny. I need their names if possible.I also need the information Caps originally posted about the pond search.

CAPS reveals one of his sourcesKlaasend:watch the news of tomorrow on what the comments are today from Hans MOS...He is pisst on the search in Monserat. My bother was telling me that MOS want to know all the detail and how they came about to that area.

May 8, 2008 CAPS posted about his losing a shoe in a pond when he was a kidReply #1486

May 15 - Destiny posts at SM that she will have pictures of the drained pond from her *direct* sourse in Aruba.May 15 - Destiny posts at SM that the photos taken today by Monserat, it is the pond next to the soccer field.

May 17 - Kyle confirms the pond is the Monstrat pond.May 17 - Kyle needs to know from US who leaked the photos. He states he believes Caps is only one step away from DirtyHand. "Mos knows there is a mole deep within the investigation"May 17, 2008 - Destiny posted the photos of the pond at SM

scaredmonkeys.net/index.php?topic=2830.920

May 17, Kyle sends an email to John Silvetti which he has copied posts from SM of CAPS and Destiny and Klassend and Spock. He is defending himself thathe didn't know who posted the pond pictures at SM.May 18: The witness went to Helen LeJuez & she set up a meeting for him with Clyde Burke from ALE.

Nope....the final and last info as posted above re: size and woman's shoe came from ALE....that roadblock was the end....shoe *was* last in the possesion of ALE shoe went *poof*....end of story...but NOW...who cares about the shoe....we have new witnesses....that is my focal point....BTW...I will call Mos again tomorrow....will keep you posted....Des http://scaredmonkeys.net/index.php?topic=4129.840

On the next morning (December 19), I boarded The Persistence along with Louis Schaffer and Tim Miller and remained aboard for the next 24 hours as they continued to scan the ocean floor. The staff was impressive—capable, bright, and extremely motivated. They worked virtually through the entire night. Clearly this was going to be one quality search effort.

I can't say enough good things about the crew, people like geologists Kyle Kingman and Rob Floyce who interpreted the data along with Brandon Hernandez of the ROV team.

We had several interesting discussions both on deck and in the relatively small galley. At one point, the boat-owner, Capt. John Silvetti (of the J.D. Silvetti Group), expressed his frustration about the lack of an exact description of the missing "crab cage" in which Natalee was likely enclosed. He'd been requesting one for several weeks, and Louis had expressed the identical frustration to me earlier.

From the best reports he could obtain, Tim had determined an approximate cage size. The search team commissioned the construction of a model cage and planned to drop it underwater to obtain as accurate a scan signature as possible to enable quicker identification of the actual cage.

(KATC)-- An international story takes on an Acadiana angle Thursday. Crews from Acadiana are on their way to Aruba to help in the search for Natalee Holloway. Holloway has been missing for two and a half years.

In St. Martin Parish Thursday-- Holloway's father who said he is excited about the search. He went on further, and said he is looking for closure. That "closure" wouldn't be possible without the help of strangers.

"We just didn't have the capabilities," said Dave Holloway, "Louis Shaefer found out about it and said, 'i've got the ability.' I've got the expertise. I've got the equipment, and I can do the job."

Louis Shaefer is retired after working off shore for more than 40 years. He's paying for the million dollar project.

"I'm just lucky that I'm at the right place at the right time," said Shaefer.

"we're just so thankful that he's got a big heart and is willing to do that," said Holloway.

The ship is the research vessel "Persistance," owned by Marine Services in Lafayette. It will take about seven days to make the journey from the Port of Iberia to Aruba.

"i've got a feeling that if she's in the ocean, these gusy are going to find her," said Holloway, who will be staying in U.S. while crews search for his daughter. He said, he knows his daughter is dead, and doesn't want to be there when she is found, "the FBI told us that Natalee's not with us anymore. And, as a parent, you always hope that wasn't the case. But, in reality, we know that already."

"I can look back over the past 10 years and there were no steps wasted, and there are no regrets,'' she said. "I did all I knew to do and I think that gives me greater peace now." "I've lived every parent's worst nightmare and I'm the parent that nobody wants to be," she said.

The latest developments in the Natalie Holloway case find three men back behind bars, but still no Natalee. Local teams from Acadiana are now joining the search for the 18 year old that disappeared in May of 2005.

The name of this boat says it all. Persistence is what search teams are hoping will lead them to Natalee Holloway.

Project Manager Marc Broussard said, "We met the Holloway family and as parents ourselves we wanted to help out, give our all and give them the Cajun spirit to motivate them to go out there, to find this child and bring her home."

The one hundred and twenty five foot boat is usually used for off-shore mapping and navigation for oil companies. Now the boat will take on a different role. Once teams reach Aruba they'll scan the bottom of the ocean and map out any objects that seem out of place. What sensors pick up is all monitored in this survey room. Teams will then investigate the objects and send a robotic like device under water with cameras.

It will take the boat eight to ten days to reach Aruba. The search teams tell us if something's out there they plan to find it. Natalee's father was aboard the boat before it set sail. We spoke with him about this trip.

Dave Holloway told us, "You try to get back to the normal way of doing things, but it stays on your mind and you stay focused on what can I do next to get closure in this. Hopefully this will be the way to do this."

The RV persistence is scheduled to depart from The Port of Iberia Tuesday evening. This search will be the first deep water search for Natalie. Teams from New Iberia, Lafayette, and Texas are all participating in the search.

The trip is funded through donations. If you'd like to support the search efforts you can send donations to:

"I can look back over the past 10 years and there were no steps wasted, and there are no regrets,'' she said. "I did all I knew to do and I think that gives me greater peace now." "I've lived every parent's worst nightmare and I'm the parent that nobody wants to be," she said.